Leger de Main
by EcoSeeker247
Summary: *SPOILERS FROM EPISODE 4x12* Leger de main. Sleight of hand. Unbeknownst to the Liars, their archenemy has another trick up the sleeve, but unlike the Great Charlemagne of Ravenswood, -A doesn't need magic to pull it off.


All right, guys! So, this is my first _Pretty Little Liars _fanfic. I've loved this show ever since it started airing back in 2010, but I never got the chance to write a story for it until now.

So this oneshot is a retelling of the Ravenswood magic show scene from the Season 4 Summer Finale, because I've seen a lot of people ask about how Emily could have disappeared in a crowded area without anyone noticing. This is just my take on what could have happened, so let me know what you think of it! If all goes well, I may branch out and write more stories for this fandom.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this! :)

**DISCLAIMER: **Everything belongs to Sara Shepard and ABC Family.

**WARNING: **There will be spoilers from episode 4x12 throughout this story.

* * *

There seemed to be no place on Earth that was creepier than Ravenswood.

As Emily Fields, Aria Montgomery, Spencer Hastings, and Hanna Marin made their way to The Great Charlemagne's magic show, they couldn't help but feel that something about this place was…off. They didn't know exactly what it was, but they felt it in their gut. Even the color of the buildings, the sky, and the grass appeared to be washed out, and nothing like Rosewood, which they were beginning to miss more and more as time went by.

The girls entered the small park where the show was situated, and Spencer recognized it as the square with the angel statue that she and Toby had seen last time they were here. Instead of the people of Ravenswood gathering to pray, they were here for the silent magic show, awed by the various tricks the Great Charlemagne himself was using to entertain his audience. At the moment, he was pulling layers and layers of cloth out of a tiny cylinder, earning applause as he held a hand up to his chest and bowed. He was dressed almost all in black, except for his gloves and facial makeup, which were both mostly white. The Liars couldn't help but be entranced by it all, wondering why A wanted them to go here, out of all places. They doubted their longtime nemesis only wanted them to see a harmless magic show.

Hanna glanced all around, taking note of a man with glasses wearing a trench coat that was staring at her and her friends, making no effort to hide the fact that he could tell they didn't belong in Ravenswood. A chill ran down her spine as she quickened her pace and reunited with the others.

"If A wanted us to watch him make a girl disappear, we're right on time," Spencer commented as they watched the magician open an elaborate box. Many of the audience members mumbled in excitement, hoping the Great Charlemagne would pick them for his best trick, feeling disappointed when he skipped over them and continued to scan the crowd. While he did that, Hanna glanced over her shoulder again and spotted the same man with the trench coat staring at them for a second time.

"I think we're being watched," she whispered, prompting all four of them to turn and follow her gaze. When they caught sight of more people gazing at them, they about-faced until they were facing the show again, just missing the fact that Mrs. Grunwald was also watching them from her seat.

"Let's all stick together," Spencer said, and at those words, Emily tried to relax and pretend that none of this bothered her.

At last, the magician finally chose someone for his last act, pointing at his volunteer and waving towards the stage. Aria frowned as she noticed that he seemed to be looking right at her. Or rather, in her direction. _Is he pointing at me? _She thought, quickly swiveling her head to see if maybe the Great Charlemagne's eyes were on someone else. But the longer he continued to stare at her, the more she realized who he wanted to join him on stage.

"_Me?_" she spat, "No way!" She didn't care what anyone else said; after the incident on the Halloween Train, there was no way she was getting back in a box for any reason. A cynical part of her couldn't help but wonder if A had something to do with this, to taunt her over the fact that she had become a little more claustrophobic after being trapped in a box with Garrett's body.

Suddenly, the magician jumped down from the stage, making the Liars freeze where they were, and Aria's heart began to pound as he made a beeline right for her, hoping to convince her to change her mind. Around them, the other audience members laughed, thinking this was all just something harmless and wondering why Aria wouldn't want to be part of a magic trick.

Eventually, the Great Charlemagne knelt down in front of her, placing his hands over his heart as he stared at her with wide eyes, silently begging her to join him on stage.

"Really, I don't do boxes," Aria insisted, but that didn't stop him from continuing to act like she was breaking his heart by declining his offer to be his assistant.

"Here, take her," Aria suggested, grabbing Spencer by the arm, "She loves magic." After revealing how she had gone to some kind of magic camp when she was younger, plus being the only one to figure out how to open the box to A's clue, Spencer seemed to be a better fit than Aria.

But the magician didn't take the bait. After studying Spencer, he shook his head at her and pointed at Aria once again, making it clear he wanted her and nobody else.

"I don't think he's going away," Spencer said, "I know this trick. You'll be okay."

After a few more minutes of deliberation, Aria reluctantly agreed to go through with it and just get it over with. Delighted, the Great Charlemagne took her by the hand and led her to the stage, where she climbed into the box and took a deep breath to calm herself down as he shut the door.

While Spencer and Hanna kept their eyes glued to the magic show, Emily jumped as she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket, and frowning, she took it out and read the incoming text message.

_I think you need to take a walk. Don't tell the others or watch Aria disappear for real. _

_Kisses, -A _

Emily glanced around, trying to stay calm as she processed this latest text message from her longtime tormentor. She was torn between wanting to stay with the others and following A's instructions, knowing that if they didn't do what A said, there would be dire consequences. Neither Spencer nor Hanna had gotten the message, it seemed, as they were still transfixed on the show. Emily wondered why she was the only one receiving the text, but she knew that she didn't want anything bad happening to Aria.

Taking a deep breath and switching her phone back to ringer, Emily quietly slipped away from the others, retracing her steps back the way the four of them had come earlier, passing by the angel statue. She had already decided she wasn't going to go too far, only moving to the edge of the park and back. She didn't know her way around this town and didn't want to get lost, especially since it was much creepier than Rosewood.

She was just turning to go back when she suddenly felt someone grab her by the arm and yank her back out of the park. Before she could scream for help, she coughed as her mysterious attacker placed a cloth over her nose and mouth, forcing her to breathe it in as everything faded to black around her. Although she put up a good fight, it wasn't enough to escape, and too late, she realized that Aria had never been in danger. Once again, she had blindly followed A's instructions, and she had to wonder how she was going to get out of this one as she finally lost consciousness.

Back at the show, Aria sighed with relief as she climbed out of the box. After handing her a fake rose, the Great Charlemagne instead gave her a real one, and she nodded her thanks as she climbed down from the stage. Now that the show was over, she wondered what would happen from here, and it wasn't until she got back to her friends that she noticed something was very wrong.

"Where's Emily?" she asked, and that was when Spencer and Hanna finally noticed their friend had somehow disappeared. But she couldn't have. She was right here when the show started! She would have never just wandered off like that…

_Ding! _Suddenly, all three of the remaining girls' cell phones sounded off, and they all gasped as they read the latest message sent to them from a blocked number:

_Leger de main. _

_Kisses Bitches, -A _

"Layger dee main?" Hanna asked in confusion.

"_Leger de main,_" Spencer corrected her, having taken French before, "Sleight of hand." Her eyes widened in horror as she glanced up at Aria, realizing exactly why A had wanted them to go to the magic show. At first, she hadn't been able to make heads or tails of it, but now…everything made sense.

"While we were watching you…A took Emily."


End file.
